Tag Archives: Ethiopia

Stereotype on African countries

Article Title: Another African country is expected to pass an anti-gay law

Source:http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/03/25/another-african-country-is-expected-to-pass-an-anti-gay-law/

Article date: March 25 2014

This article discussed the issue that another African country-Ethiopia was going to pass a bill that “would take away the president’s ability to pardon people convicted under laws banning homosexual acts’. Before this anti-homosexuality law published by Ethiopia, there were two other African Country which has passed anti-gay law. These two countries are Uganda and Nigeria. In Africa, there are several countries that ban homosexual acts and for this time, some of this countries are going to put the prohibition on gays in their law.

Gay marriage is one of the hottest words recently. Since several states in the United States found that the ban on gay marriage is a violation to the U.S. Constitution, these state started to push the legislation of gay marriage, which was also supported by federal government. Meanwhile, the whole world started to focus on this issue. People started to pay attention to the rights of LGBT group. These attentions were also paid to the gay right and gay marriage in African countries. 

This article I found has a key word: condemnation. After the passage of strict anti-gay law in these African countries, governments of these countries received a huge amount of condemnation from all over the world. Due to the civilization and development of human society, people started to care more about human rights which include the equality of homosexual and heterosexual. But in Africa or we can say in the information of Africa we learned from our media, things seemed to be the same as in the old time. Mainstream of African society still didn’t accept homosexual. The social norm was more likely to be anti-homosexual. As I read all those articles about gay issue , I found that almost every article had the same tone-biased. Journalists are likely to describe Africa as a uncivilized, rude place when they write about human right issue in Africa. The article I chose is from the Washington Post, one of the mainly paper media in the United States. I think the source impacts the choice of words and tone. As a major media in the States, Washington Post represents the mainstream ideology in this country. So when it’s going to write something which is not correspond to the main ideology of this country, the tone is biased.

In my own opinion, homosexual right is one of the basic human rights. People should have the right to choose their partner. However, different places in the world have different societies. As a result, the ideology of each country or region is absolutely different. African countries had their own development, so there are a lot of social customs that cannot be changed in a short time. But with the civilization of their own society and the interaction with developed countries, Africa is definitely going to be more versatile and is able to tolerate homosexual. What we should do is not condemning but giving Africa more time to develop.

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Come and Visit Ethiopia!

Are you trying to decide where to go for your vacation? Do you feel like you are casually ignoring the beauty of nature because of your hectic life? Then why not enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty and the geography in Ethiopia? Ethiopia is the heart of natural contrasts; it has vast fertile West side, jungles, rivers, mountain ranges, and largest caves at Sof Omar. It is without doubt that some of the highest and most stunning places are found in the African continent!

I want to first introduce you to the jaggedly carved Simien Mountains, one of national parks of Ethiopia that covers the Simien Mountains and Ras Dashan, which are the highest point of Ethiopia. The margins of this high plateau consist of precipitous cliffs and deep, canyon style gorges. The cliff of the Simien Mountains, which forms small elevations, offer remarkable natal lookout points, as well as spectacular view from the observation points at Gidir Got and Imet Gogo, which are located in the center of the Park. Did you also know that this mountain not only provides remarkable view, also consists of endangered species such as the Ethiopian wolf and the walia, a wild goat? The biosphere of the Simien Mountains National Parkmm with its steep cliffs and cool climate at the altitude of the Erica tree line (3600 to 400m ash) make the survival of an ibex species endemic to the Simien Mountains to be possible. So, when you are hiking, you might be able to encounter these endangered species!

Early Evening in Mulit

Early Morning in Sona

Simien Mountains http://www.photosbymartin.com/africa/ethiopia_trekking_simien_mountains_pictures.htm

As you can see, it has an exotic setting with a breath-taking view on the landscape

A second fascinating place to visit is the Danakil Depression, also widely known as the Dallol depression, a desert area in the Afar region of Northeastern Ethiopia. Danakil Depression is a geological depression that resulted from the three tectonic plates in the Horn of Africa. It is not only the hottest region on earth, but also the most geographically active. It is a blisteringly hot desert, which has lava flows and salt plains and lakes below the sea level. Can you imagine how this would look like? It is a lifetime experience to see geological formation so strange, and so beautiful.

dallol

Dallol http://www.photovolcanica.com/Pictures_V4/v4_hp4.jpg

dallol 2

http://www.photovolcanica.com/VolcanoInfo/Dallol/ETH08_1154.JPG

Dallol, in which Afar Depression is located, was a settlement in the northern Ethopia, Dallol’s temperature averages 94 degrees Fahrenheit, which is an annual average meaning that its temperature is relatively similar and extremely hot at any time of the year. When you walk on Dallol, it seems as though the colors are bursting from the ground and as if the color of rust are spouting out acrid flumes of sulfur. If there were no scorching heat and the smell of sulfur, you would be convinced that you are walking in a fairy tale land.

Many people visit Ethiopia – or hope to do so one day – because of its remarkable natural beauty, geography, and topography. It is worth visiting the simian mountains, Danakil Depression located in Dallol, and much more! It’s time to appreciate the natural surroundings, explore new places and to expand our knowledge about Ethiopia.